Hedge shears



1950 H. N. BOYER 2,528,816 HEDGE SHEARS Filed April 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet1 IN V EN TOR. flz/yfi A Boyer r4 7 ORA/E)- NOV. 7, 1950 BOYER 2,5Z88 16HEDGE SHEARS Filed April 21, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flay/1 AlBayer A 7' T0 R A-K Patented Nov. 7, 1950 HEDGE SHEARS Hugh N. Boyer,Canfield, Ohio; Elizabeth M.

Boyer executrix of said Hugh N. Boyer, de-

ceased Application April 21, 1948, Serial No. 22,279

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to hedge shears and more particularly to hedgeshears incorporating a combined scissors and longitudinal blade action.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a hedge shearshaving a longitudinal blade action. I

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved hedgeshear incorporating leverage action in moving one of the bladeslongitudinally with respect to the other.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a hedgeshears incorporating an improved cutting motion whereby twigs or othermaterial will be retained in the shears and cut by longitudinal actionof one of the blades with respect to the other.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a hedgeshears wherein material to be cut is retained in the shears prior to andduring an actual cutting action.

The hedge shears shown and described herein comprise an improvement inthe art of shears in general in that the commonly crossed and pivotedblades of a shear have been modified to movably position one blade withrespect to the other and provide means for urging the movable blade intoshearing engagement with the other and for moving it longitudinally withrespect thereto.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the hedge shears with portions broken awayshowing the same in open position.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the hedge shears with portions broken awayshowing the same in approximately closed position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a modified form of shears with partsbroken away and showing the same in open position.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of shears showing thesame in closed position.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it willbe seen that a bottom blade Ill'having a grip l I formed thereon ispivoted by ea gie Pivgt H a han e 13.. h v n a p.

[3A formed thereon. A top blade [4 is pivoted loosely by reason of aslot l5 and pivot-l6 to the bottom blade ID. A lever link I! is pivotedto A the blade M by a pivot l8 and to the handle l'3 by a pivot I9. Apair of studs 20 and 2|, respectively, are mounted on the handle I3, oneabove and one below the lever link ll. It will be observed that the slotI5 is formed in the top blade [4 and is positioned longitudinally of theblade [4. It will be observed that the stud 2| is in en- I gagement withthe upper edge of the lever link ll when the hedge shears are in openposition, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and by referring toFigure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the stud 20 is inengagement with the bottom edge of the lever link ll when the hedgeblades are inclosed position.

It will thus be observed that when the hedge blades are in open positionas shown in Figure 1 of the drawings the top blade 14 is in inwardp-osition with respect to the end section of the lower blade 10, havingbeen moved into such position by the engagement of the stud 2| with theupper edge of the lever link ll, which action moves the upper blade I4inwardly as the lever link ll pivots on the pivot l9 when the grip HA ismoved away from the grip II.

In closing the hedge shears on a twig or other member as in performing acutting operation, moving the grip ISA toward the grip H will pivot thehandle IS on the pivot l 2 and bring and move I the pivot l9longitudinally with respect thereto so as to move the upper blade I 4toward the lower blade Ill. This action continues until the stud 20engages the lower edge of the lever link, IT at i which time it acts asa fulcrum beneath the lever j link I! and raises the same with respectto the pivot 20 thereby causing the opposite end there- 1 of, pivoted bythe pivot l8 to the blade M, to move longitudinally or outwardly withrespect to the lower blade II]. It will thus be seen that as the bladesl0 and 14 close upon an object to be out, they close first in a lateralor shearing action and secondly in a longitudinally sliding or drawingaction and in final engagement overlap one an other in a conventionalshear-like engagement with the upper blade [4 moved outwardly havingcompleted its longitudinal movement with respect to the lower blade l0.I

Modifications in the construction and leverage action of this hedgeshears are obviously possible and two such modifications are shown inFigures 3 and 4 of the drawings. I j

By referring to Figure 3 of the drawings a h aflixed by meansfofja pivot28 tofthefloygergjblade 1;,

22. pivot'3ll to one end of the secondary handle 21 and to the upperblade 23 by means of a pivot 3 [i A secondary lever link 32 is pivotedby meansofi a .pivot 33 to the lever link 29 and is provided with a slot34 in its opposite end and pivoted therethrough by means of a pivot-35 wthe upper blade 23. It will thus be seen that when the handle 21 ismoved toward the handle -26 the pivot 28 and hence the lever link 29will move drawings, and thereby move the upper blade 23into'fengagement-with the lowerblade 22. this occurs, the secondarylever link 32 will move until ';'-;the pivot '35 reaches the end of theslot A lever "link 29 is"'pivoted 'by means of a on said blade and asecondary handle pivotally secured to. said blade, and a leverlink-pivotally secured to said secondary handle and to said secondaryblade, and studs positioned on said secondary handle one on either sideof the said lever link whereby movement of the secondary handle towardthe blade will move the lever link ahdg the secondary blade toward ;the,blade mas er-erg action and move the secondary blade longitudinally withrespect to the blade when the said lever link engages one of the saidstuds 2. A'shear comprising a blade and a secondary "blade, thesecondary iblade having a longitudinally 'extending'slot formed thereinand pivot means positioned'through said slot securing the bladesto ne.another for shearing action, a

34iatrwh-ich time a longitudinal or outward'movement' will-beimpartedi-by the secondary lever link '32 to the upper blade 23 causingit to effect a draw out with respect to the lower. ldlade; 22.

A further modification of the lever action may be seen by'referringtoFigure .4 of the'drawings wherein a lower blade 36 is provided at oneend with-a handle 3'!" and an upper blade 38 is pivoted- The pivot 39thereto :by means of: a pivot 39. ls.positioned through a longitudinallyextending slot 40 in the upper blade 38. A secondary handle-4|isrpivoted by-meansof a pivot 42 to the lowerblade 36 and :a lever link43 is pivotally affixed to one end of ;the secondary-handle 4]by--.meansof a pivot 4.4. The'other. end of the lever link 43 ispivotally =affixed to the u perblade 38 by means of a pivot 45. ,A stud46 is formed on the lower blade-'36 below the lower edge-of the leverlink 43 and a stud 4'! is formed The action of ill lower blade 36 ratherthan on the secondaryf handle .4'lr as, .compared with the disclosure ofFigures 1 and 2 of. the drawings.

It willrthus be seen that the several objectsof the invention, are metby the device disclosed herein. inthat a shears ofa hedge or other typeis disclosed as comprising a stationary blade andfa ,movable.'blad e,the movableblade being capable of, scissors action with respectto thestationary blade and longitudinal action with respect'theretoas well.Theutility of this con struction'will beseen in the fact that theshearsas, disclosed herein may, be used to grasp and V retain twigs orbranchesand th'ellikebetween the'blades prior to the actual 'closingoperationat' which time the actual'final cutting'action is in the nature of a.draw out as-the movable; blade moves longitudinallwwith respect to thestationary blade as well as in the scissors action f aS in aconventionally formed Shears.

claim is: 1

. 70 Having thus described my invention, what I 1. A shear comprisin'gai'bladejha ving a sec-1;

1112 action with respect thereto, a "handle rorme'a handle formed on thesaid blade and a secondtoward the right, as shown in Figure 3 ="of the'ary handle pivotally secured to said blade, a

lever link pivotally secured to said secondary handle and". to saidsecondary" blade, andv studs positionedgo'n the said secondary handleone on either side of the said leverlink'whereby movement of thesecondary handle toward the blade ,;Wi'll move'thejlever link and hencethe secondary blade toward the'blade in a shearing action and move-:theisecondary blade longitudinally; with respectto the blade when thesaidlever link engages one of the said studs.

ondary blade movably secured thereto for shearing action with respectthereto, a handle on said blade and a secondary handle pivotally securedtosaid blade, and a lever link pivotally secured tto s aid secondaryhandle and to the said-secondary blade, a stud positioned on the saidsecondary handle so that the said lever link lies between adjacent thesa id lever link so that the said lever. link will engage thereagainstwhen .the

said secondary handlel isimoved toward the said blade and thereby causethe said lever link f :to move the s econdary blade longitudinally withrespectto the said blade.

1,' Axshearcomprising ablade having a ing action with respect thereto, ahandle formed secured. to said secondary handle. and toqsaidsecondaryvbl'adeand a secondary lever link pivotally secured to saidlever link midway between the .endsthereof, said secondary link hav ing;a longitudinal slot formed therein and pivot means positioned in: saidlongitudinal slot and loose1y ,,securing said-secondary lever link andsaid secondary blade to one another whereby 3 -movementof the secondaryhandle toward the said blade will move. the lever v link and .thesecondary blade toward one another in a shearing. action and movethesecondary blade longitudinally with respect. to. the. said blade whenthe secondary lever link,.engages,the said pivot blade havin theretofor..overlapp i ngshearing action with ree o, the said secondary blade.

spect thereto and lo ngitudinal, draw out action,

with res pc thereto, a; handle formed on the link? pivotally secure 3. Ashear comprising a' blade having a sec? secondary blade movably securedthereto for shear- I gef shear comprising astationaryw. g asecondary,..bla de movably secured 6 REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Waters Jan. 15, 1884

